How to Add Files to Context in GitHub Copilot CLI【@】

Overview#

Ever told Copilot “fix this file” and it started talking about a completely different file?

Copilot doesn’t always know which file you mean. Use @ to explicitly point it to the right one.

Type @ followed by a file path in your prompt:

/copilot> @src/auth/login.ts add validation to this function

You can also mention folders:

/copilot> @src/components/ refactor these components

Scenario	Example
Target a specific file	`@package.json update dependencies`
Reference multiple files	`@src/api.ts @src/types.ts check type consistency`
Work on a whole folder	`@tests/ add missing test cases`

Without @, Copilot explores the file system on its own to find relevant files. It usually gets it right, but sometimes picks the wrong one.

When you need Copilot to look at a specific file, @ removes the guesswork.